Tambov Gang
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The Tambov Gang (in Russian: Тамбовская преступная группировка) is a large, arguably the most powerful gang of Saint Petersburg, Russia, according to common allegations, organized in Leningrad (former name of St. Petersburg) in 1988 by two men from Tambov Oblast, Vladimir Kumarin (the gang's leader, born on February 15, 1956, in the late 90s he changed his surname to Barsukov, his mother's surname), and Valery Ledovskikh. The origin of its leaders explains its name. Despite very common allegations [1], Kumarin himself, however, goes on denying his involvment. Originally the gangsters were recruited from people of Tambov origin and sportsmen and were engaged in protection racket.
It has become famous in the city after commentaries of Alexander Nevzorov in his 600 seconds daily TV program broadcast on the city television.
In 1989 the gang clashed with Malyshev's Gang, another leading criminal group of Leningrad, in a bloody armed conflict. In 1990 some of the gangsters including Kumarin himself were imprisoned for racket, but Kumarin was released from prison in 1993.
In 1993 – 1995 an internal war between subdivisions of the Tambov Gang developed. On June 1, 1994 Kumarin survived a murder attempt in his car but was severely wounded and lost his arm. He continued his recovery in Duesseldorf (Germany) and Switzerland. By 1995 allegedly he had taken full control over the gang again.
By then the gang had incorporated some of the racketed businesspeople and become interested in investment and fuel trading effectively evolving into a mafia. It also heped organizing several private guard enterprises. Some of the gangsters allegedly became members of the State Duma and Saint Petersburg Legislative Assembly. [2] Even speaker of the Assembly Viktor Novosyolov gave it his support and maintained close relationships with Kumarin. [3], [4] In 1998 Kumarin became Deputy President of the Petersburg Fuel Company (PTK), the dominating fuel trading company in the city, organized by the Saint Petersburg City Administration back in 1994, when it united many of the gang's fuel trading assets as well as Surgutneftegaz former franchises. Kumarin was also linked to Vladimir Smirnov[1], the head and a resident of the Ozero condominium. Together they co-organized several private guard enterprises and headed PTK. [5]
However, in autumn 1999 positions of the gang started deteriorating again. Viktor Novosyolov was decapitated by an explosion in his car on October 20. Some of its most important members were imprisoned or killed. Kumarin left his position of PTK Deputy President.
The Tambov Gang now includes several hundred active members.
In August 2001 Interior Minister of Russia Boris Gryzlov claimed that the Tambov Gang controlled up to 100 industrial enterprises in Saint Petersburg, including the Petersburg Fuel Company, leading fuel retailing operator in the city, as well as four main sea ports of Northwestern Russia, Saint Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. [6], [7]
On January 16, 2007 Prosecutor General of Russia Yury Chaika announced that the Tambov Gang had recently forcefully taken over 13 large enterprises in Saint Petersburg and was subject to an investigation. [8], [9]
[edit] References and notes
- ^ Roth, Jürgen. Die Gangster aus dem Osten. Hamburg: Europa Verlag, 2003. ISBN 3203815265
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Volkov, Vadim, Not a word about the past, Expert #15(322), 2002.
- Roth, Jürgen. Die Gangster aus dem Osten. Hamburg: Europa Verlag, 2003. ISBN 3203815265
- Criminality in St. Petersburg (in Russian), December 30, 2004.
